I love these long days near the summer solstice. We sleep less. “Late afternoon” means 6pm, and the light is spun silver; the water is shining mercury.
May 27th. We wrap up a day of work around the house and go for a quick ride into town. Silver light turns the Great Salt Pond into magic.
May 18, 2012. After a day of hard work (by Dan; me, I’m still writing) we get to play mojitos-on-the-deck redux. Another clear day, another gorgeous sunset. Today, though, there are fewer clouds, so the sun sails out of the sky round and even and glittering in the water.
May 17, 2012. We get to spend our 32nd anniversary on the island. Mojitos on the deck watching the sun shimmer out of the clouds and set full and red. It’s north of the lighthouse now. Official sunset time: 8:01. Official reservation time at the Spring House: 8:15. Great location, great drinks, great sunset, great meal.
Happy anniversary, Dan, my partner, my friend, my love!
The only thing there is in Akumal is the beach. And a fine beach it is.
The curve of Turtle Bay
Beach with condos
Beach with boats
Oh yes, and there’s also the humidity. Dan and I get into the habit of going out for a run into town at around dawn, and even so, there is no place in the air for the sweat to evaporate. But the breeze is pleasant, and the ocean sounds good.
View from our patio looking east into the ocean sunrise
Sunrise along the road into town
Beach shortly after sunrise
We say “Good morning!” to the Americans who like us are out running or walking and “Hola!” or “Buenas dias!” to the Mexicans on their way to work. It is a mile and a quarter, more or less, from our condo into town, the same on the return. There is only one road, and it is a dead end. On the road we see houses and condos, a few shops, a restaurant or two. Very little traffic.
Condo complex on the road into town
Cute pink house with cute red cars and red bougainvillea
Front wall of a private house
La Buena Vida restaurant, not far from our condo
Roadside shops
La Lunita, the restaurant at (well, near) the end of the road, our favorite
I like being near the ocean but not going into it. There are mosquitos or other biting insects in the sand. I get bitten whenever I venture near the beach. Walking up and down the road is my main (only) form of physical activity. We walk or run into town maybe two or three times a day. Walking is a pleasure, although did I say it was hot and humid in Akumal?
Did I say “town”? That may have been a bit of an exaggeration. A few gift shops and restaurants catering to American tourists, a grocery store, a couple of realtors, and a dive shop cluster for about a block along the single road, just off the highway. It’s not a busy place. Everyone speaks English. There is a very nice beach and nothing much else to do. They roll up the sidewalks by about 9pm. What few sidewalks there are.
archway over the road at the entrance to town from the highway (yes, that's the main--the only--road into town)
Shops in town
Town residents, living across from the dive shop
I rewrite about half a novel in one week in Akumal, listening to the wind pounding the ocean surf against our beach. It’s not a bad way to live.
Our condo building--"La Bahia"--as seen from the street
View from the patio of our condo
Goodbye, Block Island, beautiful even on a winter’s morning!
Be safe! We’ll see you again in the spring.
Moonrise this evening, about 7pm at the State Beach. The wind was strong; sand flew in our faces; and the clouds raced at breakneck speed. The moon alone seemed to keep the world from blowing apart.
Yesterday afternoon the rain clouds rolled in. The wind picked up; the air smelled like the ocean. Thunder growled a warning. And then the rain broke loose. I closed the windows and kept working. After a while, the sky grew lighter, and when I looked up the sun was shining again, long, late afternoon golden light slanting through the pouring rain.
Wait a minute.
Late afternoon sunlight…in the pouring rain…
There must be a rainbow! A perfect end to this beautiful (Jewish) New Year’s day.
As if the rainbow weren’t enough, the sun put on a show too.
My friend Jennie is visiting me on Block Island today. It’s a work day. We’re both trying to get past some form of writers’ block on our novels. But that’s no reason not to take a walk on a beautiful day. Here is what it looked like from our beach this afternoon.
We were on the island for a few days surrounding the summer solstice, when the sun is as far north as it gets. The first I saw of it was at 5am on June 20th, and I am delighted to share this northerly sunrise with you.
Warm late-spring days are truly magical on the island. The air is sweet with roses and Russian olive blossoms. The sun is strong and hot during the day and the stars are bright at night, but at sunrise and sunset a cool fog rises from the sea. And the elements dance: fire and air, sea and land.
